Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any strategic road schemes have been subject to funding reprofiling since 11 June 2026; and if she will list each scheme affected, the reason for the reprofiling, and the revised annual expenditure profile.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There has been no funding reprofiling to enhancement schemes on the strategic road network since 11 June 2026.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2026, to Question 13259, on National Highways: Expenditure, who are the stakeholders in relation to the external public affairs contract, and whether they included (a) Government representatives and (b) Parliamentarians.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The contract supports National Highways’ commitment to engage openly, effectively and appropriately with a wide range stakeholders who have an interest in the Strategic Road Network. This includes, but is not limited to, regional representatives, relevant Government departments and public bodies, transport and infrastructure organisations, business groups, road safety organisations, environmental groups, and parliamentarians.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2026, to Question 4343, on Parking Offences: Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, whether the higher parking charges from the trial remain in force in that locality.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The higher-level Penalty Charge Notice levels applied only during the August 2025 trial carried out by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Skills England has undertaken an assessment of current and projected workforce shortages in aviation engineering, including the implications of new apprentice registrations remaining below pre-pandemic levels.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Skills England published an updated assessment of current demand for occupations in 2025. This is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/occupations-in-demand/2025. The assessment, based on a range of indicators of employment demand, found that aerospace engineers were not experiencing elevated levels of demand in 2025.
Skills England also published its Annual Skills Report and Sector Skills Needs Assessment on 1 June 2026. This is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skills-england-annual-skills-report-and-sectoral-skills-needs-assessments-2026. The reports feature skills assessments of the Advanced Manufacturing sector and Defence sector, both of which include aerospace engineering as a priority occupation. In the recently published Skills Needs Assessments, Skills England estimate a growth of 6,000 workers for aerospace engineers across the Advanced Manufacturing and Defence sectors from 2025 to 2035.
Since 2018/19 starts have remained stable or grown in aviation-related apprenticeships. For example, starts in the aerospace engineer standard have increased from 140 in 2018/19 to 170 in 2024/25.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment Skills England has made of the aviation sector’s reliance on overseas-based licensed engineers.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Occupations related to aviation engineering such as Electrical and electronics technicians and Engineering technicians are included in the Migration Advisory Committee’s Temporary Shortage List review. As part of this review, government departments have been asked to submit plans demonstrating evidence of current and future shortage, along with the action that is being taken to support that occupation and reduce the need for migrant labour. Skills England has been involved in reviewing these plans, assessing the data they use and the suitability of actions. The MAC are due to publish their report on the Temporary Shortage List this Summer.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that students who have studied BTEC Level 3 in Aerospace Engineering and similar qualifications are not prevented from accessing employer-led levy funded engineering apprenticeships.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
A learner is able to undertake an apprenticeship at a lower level and in the same sector as training they have previously received, providing the apprenticeship offers sufficient new learning to meet our minimum duration requirements. The government will not fund training that duplicates provision a learner has already received.
In August 2025, we reduced the minimum duration of an apprenticeship from 12 months to 8 months, this change means that more people with relevant prior learning will be able to upskill through an apprenticeship.
Asked by: Rebecca Smith (Conservative - South West Devon)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been provided by her Department towards Hammersmith Bridge since its closure in April 2019; and how much further funding has been requested by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government has provided the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham with £17m since the closure of Hammersmith Bridge in 2019. We would expect the Borough to request any further project funding via the Structures Fund, where it will be considered alongside other project proposals. The Structures Fund closes for applications on 3 August.